blockie
One thing I always looked for was the person's age, weight and height in hopes of finding someone like me. So I'm keeping this posted at the top for future visitors. In the begining (6/24/03)......
Age 41-1/2
Height - 5'4"
BMI - 47.2
Weight - 275 - all downhill from here I hope !! :)
Weight Loss Totals
0 days - 275lbs (- 0 lbs)
22 days - 244lbs (-31 lbs)
1 month - 237lbs (-38 lbs)
6 weeks - 225lbs (-50 lbs)
2 months - 222lbs (-53 lbs)
10 weeks - 214lbs (-61 lbs)
3 months - 209lbs (-66 lbs)
4 months - 195lbs (-80 lbs)
5 months - 187lbs (-88 lbs)
6 months - 177lbs (-98 lbs)
6-1/2 months - 173lbs (-102 lbs)
7 months - 169lbs (-106 lbs)
7-1/2 months - 165lbs (-110 lbs)
8 months - 161-1/2(-113-1/2 lbs)
9 months - 157lbs (-118 lbs)
10 months - 152lbs (-123lbs)
11 months - 148lbs (-127lbs)
11m 4days - 144-1/2 (-130-1/2 lbs)
1 year - 139lbs (-136lbs)
14 months - 135-1/2lbs(-139-1/2)
16 months - 131lbs (-144lbs)
2/11/03 - Today I went to meet Paula (nurse coordinator) at Dr. B's office. I have all of my scripts and now I need to get everything scheduled ASAP and call Paula back with the dates so I can get that all important appointment to see Dr. Beetel.
3/18/03 - Saw Dr. Beetel today. He was so nice. He wants me to get a EDG because I have been having problems with reflux. No biggie I can do more tests. As a matter of fact I think they have just about run out of tests to give me :) I got to meet Pam today. Pam has one of the most important jobs at the office. She schedules the surgery dates !!!! My date......June 11, 2003 !!
5/21/03 - Three more weeks to go !! I had my Pre-Opt appt and rec'd my scripts for after surgery. Next week is my Pre-Admission at St. Joe's. It'll be here before I know it !!
6/4/03 - Down to one more week !!! Next Wednesday 6/11 is the big day. I am sooo excited.
6/6/03 - Oh well, it was almost too good to be true. Surgery date CANCELED. No reason given....no new date yet. I understand that sometimes these things happen but it is very disappointing.
6/10/03 - Received a new surgery date today 6/19/20. Only 8 days delayed !!! Boy, I gotta tell you that the waiting for my new date after having been canceled was a killer. Everyone tells you how important it is to be mentally prepared so you really get focused the closer the date is and being canceled kinda threw me way off course. Ok, enough whining. I'm back in business and thrilled !!! 9 more days until my new life begins. Gotta get back on track. I'm taking the advice of a couple of people by starting the protein drinks, walking and getting used to sipping 64ozs of water each day....need to get my practice in so I'm as ready as I can be next week. Keep those fingers XXXXX don't want anymore delays.
6/17/03 - 48 hours from now and I will be on the other side. Pinch me cause I must be dreaming !! I feel as though I've waited a lifetime for this day and now it is sooo close. I read so many of the profiles and have emailed back and forth with some and I just can't tell you all how important this has been. I love this site !! I could never have learned so much anywhere else. Thanks !!
6/18/03 - I just can't believe it.....ok, yes I can because it's the second time now....CANCELED !! 24hrs to go and I get the dreaded phone call. I guess someone pinched me and I woke up from that dream. I'll make sure I don't ask for that pinch on July 20th cause my new date is July 21st. Hopefully the third time will be a charm but I can't even get excited about it anymore. Got my head ready twice and twice I dealt with the disappointment. Next time I'll believe it when they roll me into the OR.
6/19/03 - Ok, try this roller coaster ride....yesterday my surgery (slated for today) is pushed back until 7/21. Today I get a phone call from Dr. Bonanni's office saying that he will be able to perform my surgery (instead of Dr. Beetel) on Tuesday 6/24. On again for June !!! Part of me is upset by the jostling around but part of me is happy that the Dr. is trying his best to accomadate all of those who were pushed back by the emergency that occured. The surgical assistant fell ill (heart trouble I'm told). So no way can I get angry. There are things much more important then my weight loss surgery (not many :) ). I will just wait and see and hopefully 6/24 will be my new Birthday !!
6/23/03 -
It was the night before surgery and all thru her head ran thoughts of
being healthy and scantily clad :)
With energy to chase both children and men,
Oh, this surgery will give her a tool without end.
No more worrying if her big bottom will fit in the chair,
no more worrying about those cruel people that sometimes would stare.
Tomorrow's her new Birthday she's soon to be free
of all those aches in her present that just shouldn't be.
So many to thank for their supportive ways
More requests for their help in the coming days...
But tonight is the night before the new life is real,
The night before surgery....can you feel what she feels ?
Thanks to all of you who have been there to answer my questions. It just blows me away that people I haven't even meant yet will be stopping by the hospital to check in on me. I can't begin to show my gratitude for your kindness. Stacy, who I recruited as my angel :) thanks soo very much. You inspire me !! Tonight I wanted to put in my journal all the concerns that I am feeling so that someone who vists here later on will know that they are not alone. I found myself thinking about all of my favorite foods that I'll miss. (Probably is due to being stuck on this liquid diet for 9 days now :) ) Also worried and wondering if this really is the right thing for me. I guess that is something that worries a lot of us. Praying that I'm not the 1 person who doesn't lose :) Yes, I think because of past experiences with dieting we all share that concern !! Hoping that I am a somewhat fast loser. Wondering how relationships will change and how long it will take me to feel comfortable in my new body. It's been a long time at this big size. Thankful that I have this option. Proud of my courage to make this change. Feeling strong and prepared due to all of the research I've done and the friends I've made along the way. Got out some old pictures of the days when I was thin. The face may be a bit older now but I'm gonna get that body back !! Hoping my recovery is quick. I'm 41 years old and am starting to realize the meaning of "Youth is wasted on the young" !! Most of all loving "me" again. This is all for me. Not for someone else just for me. That is going to be the one thing that I can hold on to in the days ahead. I am going to feel better, look better, be more active, confident and take control of my world. No more wanting to disappear into the woodwork because I am ashamed of my apperance. Begining right now those old feelings will need to find a new home. I intend to give it my best and to work "the window". If you are reading this and you are wondering if WLS is right for you....do your homework. You need to feel as though you are prepared because as I'm sure I'll find out tomorrow no one can be truly prepared but you can be knowledgable. You owe it to yourself. Ok, it's time to go pack for the hospital....Wish me luck ? Say a prayer ? Keep me in your thoughts ? I'll be back to post just as soon as I am able.
7/10/03 - Hi all !! This is the first time I felt up to posting. Wow, what a wild ride so far. Surgery happened as planned on the 24th and I was sent home on the 27th. Back in the hospital on the 29th and into a second surgery. It appeared as though I had a leak. My temp had gone to 103.5 during the night of the 28th but I thought I would wait until morning to call Dr. B. Dumb move. If you ever have a temp you must call your Dr. ASAP cause it is indicating bad stuff. I spent the next 4 days in CCU then another 5 in a regular room. NOTHING TO SIP ON FOR 7 FULL DAYS not even an ice chip. The only fulid I was getting was from one of the 8 IV bags hanging around. I also had to receive 2 pints of blood as mine was low. I never thought for one moment that all this would happen but it did so if you are reading this please prepare yourself just in case things don't go smoothly. I'm weak but feeling a bit better everyday. I go back to Dr. B tomorrow so I will see how the scale is treating me.
7/16/03 - Just returned home from my third trip to the hospital. This time it was to deal with a high white cell count and fluid around my lung. I'm beginning to think of St. Joe's as my second home !! Everything looks good for now so I'm going to hope it stays that way for awhile. The good news is - 22days down 31 pounds....Gone.....Forever !!! *
Ok, Today is my 1 month anniversary and so far I am down 38lbs. Yipee !!!! I am starting to get some energy back which is sooo wonderful. One thing that I have learned is ya just gotta move that body. No matter how tired you are it really does help improve your energy level. Second thing is....Get that water in. Somedays I have trouble with that and those are the bad days because it just throws me off and I don't feel as well if I don't get as much water in as I can handle. I go back for my 1 month checkup on Monday and hopefully I will finally be back to work on Tuesday. I also signed up for water aerobics which will start on Aug 4th. I think that will help big time with my back. Ever since the surgeries and all the time in bed my back aches so this should strengthen it up. I'm feeling like I've finally made it to the point where I will now begin to enjoy my weight loss journey. Good Luck to all of you with up coming dates. Enjoy this opportunity to the fullest !! *
7/28/03 Went for my Dr. appt. and I had a fever that morning. Guess what? Back into the hospital. Got to hang at St. Joe's for 5 days and had more tests. Infection brewing again. This has got to stop. Dr. B can't find the source so hopefully whatever it is will be fixed up with all the antibiotics and I can get back to life. *
9/9/03 I'm now 10 weeks out and 61 pounds lighter and it feels wonderful !! I have been very lucky so far and have been able to eat most foods. Some old favorites such as coffee, well, that just doesn't taste the same and I no longer drink it. Funny, I've been trying to quit drinking that stuff for 5 years and now it's finally happened :) The only time I have become sick when eating is when I have waited too long between meals. I seem to eat too fast when I space my meals too far apart. I still have issues with not drinking when I eat but I try to stick to little sips of water. I don't think I'll ever be able to do the 30 minutes before and 1 hour after thing. Yesterday I had a "Healthy Choice" bowl, prior to the surgery I would say "This is NOT enough for a bird". Funny how I am now full after eating about a 1/3 of it. I'm currently on a bit of a plateau but I'll check back in at the "3 month" mark and post again. Hope all you losers are feeling well !! *
9/24/03 - It's been 3 months and I'm down 66 lbs.....GONE FOREVER !!! How about me !!! This is just the best thing I have ever experienced. I feel alive again. I feel as though I have so much more energy. I can physically do things that I had trouble doing just 66 pounds ago. My weight loss is holding up pretty well and I know I need to pick up the pace on my exercise. Currently I am only going to water aerobics twice a week but now that fall is here and the temps will be cooling down I will be out walking and that should keep the weight coming off at a decent pace. Listen to me, too funny. Never in my whole life could I have lost this much weight let alone in 3 months time and boy am I soo grateful. Thanks to the Big Guy up there watching over me and Thanks to Dr. B !!! Talk about being HAPPY well, I could bend your ear for hours :) Hope all you losers out there are doing well and for you wanna be losers.....hang in there your surgery date will be here before ya know it !! *
10/14/03- Hey, today is my Birthday and what a wonderful B-Day it is !!! I am down 75-1/2 pounds and weigh under 200lbs for the first time is 5 years !!! Yipee for me !!! I have gone from a size 24 to a size 16.....unbelieveable !! This is the best birthday I've had in a long time. I'm feeling so much better about myself. Just last week I went to a department store and was blown away that I could pick out clothing from the "normal" sections of the store instead of the "big womans" section. I almost started crying right there in the middle of the store. Thank God for this surgery !!! *
10/24/03 - Today is the 4 month anniversary of my surgery and I am down 80 pounds ! GONE FOREVER !!!! YIPEE !!! This was the best thing I ever did, with the exception of my children :) I feel more confident. I'm no longer hiding because I don't want to draw attention to myself. Life is becoming different.....a good different. I still have another 50 - 60 pounds that I would like to lose but I'm getting there. One pound at a time........ *
11/24/03 - My 5 month anniversary. Down 88 pounds !! My hope is that somehow, someway I can manage to lose 12 pounds by Christmas Eve which will give me a 100 pound loss as a Christmas present. I'm gonna work hard towards that goal. Last month was such a small loss as I didn't lose anything for 2 weeks. Hate it when I get stuck. This was the second time that's happened but I count myself as lucky....it was only 2 weeks afterall !! *
12/01/03 - Hey, Lost another 3 pounds. Yipee for me !!! Only need to get 9 more off by Christmas !! *
12/24/03 - Today is Christmas Eve and my six month anniversary !! I have lost 98 pounds to date and I'm so grateful. I'm now wearing a size 12 which is wonderful. It's nice to go into a department store, grab a pair of pants without needing to try them on and head to the cashier. LOVE IT !!! My 6 month goal was to have 100 pounds off and I just missed it but I'm not one bit upset. I'll take the 98 pounds I did loose and be very grateful for it !! *
1/5/04 - Hey everyone, HAPPY NEW YEAR !! Today is an awesome day in this new life of mine. I can now say that I've lost over 100 pounds. Imagine that !! :) Never in a million years would I ever have thought this would really happen for me. I thought I would be the one person this surgery did not work for. Well, it works !! Now the big thing is to get this last 20-40 pounds off. I will be happy with 20 but if I can get even more then that off I'm all for it. Life is so different. Shopping for clothes is no longer a nightmare it's a pleasure. I've even caught a guy or two checking me out. Ha,ha,ha too funny....again, Imagine that !! The best thing is the way I feel about me. I truely like me again and that is a wonderful feeling. *
2/10/04 - So here I am 7-1/2 months later and 110lbs lighter !! Who would have belived this ?? Certainly not me. I was going to be the one person that this surgery didn't work for. Too funny.... After years of trying and failing finally something worked. Something that now allows me to feel human, something that allows me to do all the things I never thought possible. There are days when it's so hard not to sit down and cry with happiness. Two weeks ago I was on vacation in the Bahamas and I was able to go horseback riding because I was no longer too heavy for the horse. To celebrate the new me I went skydiving. That's right 42 years old and I jumped out of a stinkin plane at 11,000ft. I feel like superwoman.....I can do anything now and nothing can stop me. For those of you who may be reading this and are wondering about the surgery or are scheduled but find yourself getting cold feet.....DO IT !!! You may have some tough weeks following the surgery or you may do wonderfully well but to deny yourself the chance to live again, well, I don't even want to think what my life would be like this very minute if I woke up to find out that the last 7-1/2 months had only been a dream. For all the difficulties I had those first couple of months I would do it all again in a heartbeat knowing what I know now. Please don't deny yourself a chance at feeling normal. I can now tell you just how glorious of a feeling it is. Can you imagine that just yesterday a co-worker told me I don't need to lose anymore that I look wonderful. I never thought I would live to see that day come. I'm so happy and I hope that you will be too. Good luck, God bless & enjoy life again. *
4/24/04 - Well, It's been a while since I've written although I update my monthly weight loss. I am a solid size 8 and can wear some size 6 clothing. My energy level is soaring and I feel wonderful. I have a pair of jeans that I saved for many years. The last time I was able to wear them I was 29 years old. I am now 42 and this weekend I tried them on as they are my "goal" jeans.....I was so surprised when I put them on and they fit. I zipped up that zipper and almost began to cry....it was something that I never thought would happen, being able to wear those jeans again. I am so greatful that this surgery was available. It was so hard in the beginning when I was sick but to be where I am today I would do it all over again. Life is just great !! Good luck to all of you new "losers" and those who are just starting out on their journey. Hang in there.....stay positive.....you will be glad that you took this step. *
5/30/04- Wow, how life has changed. I had a losing spurt over the past few days and now I find myself 9-1/2 pounds from goal and my 1 year anniversay just under 1 month away. I never thought I could make it to goal this quickly. I thought for sure that it would be a struggle to the end but that hasn't been the case. I have learned over these past 11 months a whole new lifestyle. Food is no longer the main focus in my life. Exercise has become important to me. Seeing my body change has been worth every second of this journey. A week ago I found a man that makes my whole world shine and I am happy that timing brought me to this place when it did. He's so wonderful and he thinks that I'm beautiful. It makes me tear up to think that I had wasted so much of my life accepting that "I will always be overweight". Thank God for this surgery, thank God for Dr. B, and thank you God for giving me someone in my life to love and cherish. *
June 2004 - Well, June turned out to be a tough month. On June 1st I was admitted to the hospital with a small bowel obstruction. This was probably a result of my bypass. I had the pleasure of spending 8 days in the hospital without food or water (this seems to happen whenever a gastric bypass person has something wrong in the belly) and had surgery....again! As I write this it is actually July 16th and I'm feeling great again and just returned to Curves this week. If you are reading this profile and are thinking about having gastric bypass surgery I want you to know that I DON'T REGRET IT FOR ONE SECOND!!! There have definitely been some bumps in the road for me but I would do it all over again. I feel great, look good (even if I do say so myself :) and I have never been happier. Good Luck! See ya on the losing side!! *
August 2004 - Wow, 14 months and I am 1-1/2 pounds from lossing 100% of my excess weight. This whole thing blows me away. I am so happy. Life is soooo good. I am in a loving relationship with a man who makes me feel like the most beautiful woman in the world. He inspires me to keep active and to work on making my body the best it can be. His support makes it easier to do the right things.....even when I don't want to :) I'm wearing a size 6 and some size 4's. Who would have thought that possible??? Not me!! Good luck to those of you waiting for your surgery. I'll work on putting up a new pic soon. *
10-14-2004 Wow, today is my B-Day and I'm now 43 years old but 144lbs lighter :) Boy, does that make this B-Day nicer to celebrate!! I just sent in an updated pic and look forward to seeing it up on this site. I'm actually a few pounds below my goal of 134 but I'm glad of it as it gives me a little cushion for the holidays. My goal for the coming year will be to have a little "work" performed to fix up areas that I'm not so comfortable with. Overall I am pleased with the way my body bounced back "shape" wise. Life is just wonderful now. I feel great, have loads of energy and LOVE to shop for clothes :) Wish all of you who are on this journey the best of luck!!! *
